


not gonna waste these words (about a girl)

by growlery writes (growlery)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, co-parenting a fake baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21738388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/growlery/pseuds/growlery%20writes
Summary: "Mermista," Perfuma says, as calmly as she can when her emotional state can best be described as 'frazzled', "did you leave ourbabyin thegymnasium?"
Relationships: Mermista/Perfuma (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	not gonna waste these words (about a girl)

**Author's Note:**

> this is deeply silly and i do not apologise. title from about a girl by the academy is

"Mermista," Perfuma says, as calmly as she can when her emotional state can best be described as 'frazzled', "did you leave our _baby_ in the _gymnasium_?"

Mermista doesn't look up from where she is sprawled half over Sea Hawk, her arms stretched out holding a Mermystery book up over her face. Sea Hawk's face does something that's hard to describe. His eyes are very large and kind of sparkling.

"You have a baby?" he says. "Oh my. Oh _my_ , what excellent news! Why didn't you tell me, Mermista? I would have composed you a shanty! I'm composing one right now!"

Perfuma takes several deep breaths, until she can make her mouth make the shape of a smile. "It's an assignment for class," she says, holding the very much not real, not actually alive, yet still very much requiring of care baby close to her chest. "Mermista was supposed to be taking care of him this morning but _somehow_ Glimmer found him abandoned underneath one of the benches in the gym."

"Oh no," Mermista says, not taking her eyes off the book. "I must have put him down and forgot."

"You put him down," Perfuma repeats, still smiling, "and forgot him." She lets out a breath that sounds only sort of like a scream. "Mermista. Theodore is a helpless infant reliant on us for literally all of his needs. You can't. Forget him."

"Uhhhhhhh," Mermista says, flicking her eyes to Perfuma. She looks concerned. Maybe Perfuma's gotten through to her. "You know he's not a real baby, right? He won't actually die if we don't take care of him."

"Oh my gosh," Perfuma says, with what she can admit is a hysterical laugh. "We're going to fail."

"Don't talk like that in front of Teddy," Mermista says. "You'll break his spirit."

Perfuma breathes in. Perfuma breathes out. Perfuma says, "Mermista, can we talk for a second? In private?"

Mermista arches a brow at her. Perfuma smiles. Or at least, she hopes she does. Her facial muscles are very tense right now. Mermista shrugs, and when Perfuma turns, Mermista follows her.

"Look," Perfuma says, very calmly, "I know you don't care about things, but I-"

"Wait," Mermista says, "what the fuck?"

Perfuma blinks. They're standing really close together, maybe closer than they ever have. Has Mermista's hair always been that shiny? Surely not. Perfuma would've noticed if she wanted to run her fingers through it all the time.

"Excuse me?" Perfuma says, unsure.

"Yeah, excuse you," Mermista says. "Who says I don't care about things?"

"Um," Perfuma says. "You, constantly, all of the time?"

Mermista rolls her eyes. "I don't care about things that don't matter."

"Well," Perfuma grits out, "you don't seem to think anything matters, so-"

"Wow, fuck you," Mermista says. "Why don't you just take care of Teddy by yourself, since you're the only one who cares about things."

And before Perfuma can think of a response, Mermista stomps off.

*

"So I guess I'm a single mother now," Perfuma finishes, expelling a heavy breath from her lungs. "Can you believe her?"

Bow clears his throat. He's got his diplomatic face on, clearly unsure what exactly to say.

"Oh no," Perfuma says. She rocks Teddy in her arms nervously. "What did I do."

Bow makes a face. "I just don't think you were very considerate of her feelings." 

"Does she have feelings," Perfuma mutters, and Bow gives her a significant look. It's not mean - Perfuma doesn't think Bow has a mean bone in his body - but Perfuma shrinks under it, anyway. "I was just - frustrated," she says, because she can admit that much. "It's so hard to get through to her."

"It doesn't sound like you tried very hard," Bow says. "It kinda sounds like you just yelled at her."

She... did kind of do that, yeah. "I didn't mean to," Perfuma says, but she sounds weak even to her own ears. "I'm normally _such_ a patient person. I try _all the time_ to meet others where they are and extend to them the benefit of the doubt."

"Uh... huh..." Bow says.

"But she makes it so hard," Perfuma says, and she doesn't want to be whining, but it definitely sounds like she's whining.

"This is a wild suggestion," Bow says, "but maybe try talking? To her? About it? No yelling, this time."

Perfuma wilts a little. "I just don't know what I'd say."

"Okay," Bow says. "Let’s we roleplay it. You be Mermista, I'll be you."

"Okay," Perfuma says, brightening. Then she lets her shoulders drop and says in a low, disaffected voice, "Okay."

Bow smiles encouragingly at her. "Hi Mermista! I'm sorry about the mean things I said to you earlier."

Perfuma opens her mouth to protest, but Bow gives her another significant look, and she sags back down. "It's cool," she says. "You had a point, or whatever."

"Yes, but I was very rude about it," Bow says pointedly. "I don't really think you don't care about things. You just act that way so often it's hard to know what you're really feeling."

Perfuma looks away. She coughs. "Whatever. I hate feelings."

"Feelings can be hard," Bow says. "But if we're going to be able to work together, we need to communicate, and we need to be honest with each other. Theo needs both of us."

"His name is Teddy," Perfuma says. She covers her face with her hands. "Okay. I know what I need to do."

*

Mermista groans out loud when she spots Perfuma at her locker at the end of the day.

"Wait," Perfuma says, clutching Teddy like a lifeline, "wait, I just wanted to-"

"Yell at me some more? No thanks," Mermista mutters, slamming her locker open.

Perfuma takes a deep breath, reaching deep into her reserves of patience and consideration. "No yelling this time," she says. "I promise."

"Okay," Mermista says, turning to face her, folding her arms across her chest. "What, then?"

"Uhhhh," Perfuma says. Mermista's standing so close to her again; Perfuma's mind is suddenly a total blank. Have her eyelashes always been so long? Have her eyes always been that shade of brown? "Feelings are hard?"

Mermista blinks at her for a few seconds, blank, and then she bursts out laughing.

Oh. Oh. She's... gosh. Mermista's pretty. Perfuma knew Mermista was pretty, of course. But like this, she's radiant. Like this, Perfuma feels her skin heat just looking at her, and she has to drop her eyes, blink rapidly for a few minutes, so she can adjust.

"That's what you came here to say?" Mermista says, and she must still be smiling, because Perfuma can hear the amusement in her voice. "Feelings are hard?"

"That," Perfuma says, lifting her gaze, "and I'm sorry. I've been a bad friend."

Mermista is still kind of smiling, but there's something else on her face, too, something Perfuma doesn't know how to identify. "You have," she says loftily. "I will graciously allow you to make it up to me with ice cream."

Perfuma beams at her. The beam widens when Mermista holds her arms out for Teddy and hoists him onto her hip, telling him, "How about it, eh? Wanna get ice cream with your moms?"

"Babies can't have ice cream," Perfuma says, but she's still smiling, and when Mermista holds out her other arm, Perfuma takes her hand.


End file.
